The Rockets' loss to the Warriors on Thursday ended an eight-game winning streak, and they worked Saturday to minimize mistakes.

Until a late push, the Rockets were on pace for their worst shooting game of the season, in part because they missed many shots at the rim but also because the offense did not click the way it had before the All-Star Game.

"We talked about it," coach Kevin McHale said. "We played in crowds too much. We didn't make the simple play. We didn't make the drive-kick, drive-kick play. Everybody was too intent on trying to score on the initial stuff. The ball didn't move side-to-side as it had been for us.

"All that being said, we missed probably 10 tip-ins around the basket where if you make half those it's a different (game)."

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Scouting report: At Phoenix

Three things to watch in Sunday night's game:

1 Center of attention: Dwight Howard led the Rockets in scoring with 34 points in the previous meeting with the Suns, but the attention he demanded inside keyed even more offense around him, with the Rockets making a season-best 68.8 percent (11-of-16) of their 3-pointers.

2 Ready to run: The Suns lead the NBA in fast-break scoring, with Goran Dragic relentless at pushing the pace. Averaging 18.7 fast-break points per game, they average 22 fast-break points per game against the Rockets this season. The Rockets are tied for fourth, averaging 17.1 points on the break.

3 Playoff preview: The Suns' blowout win over the Spurs on Friday moved them to sixth in the Western Conference and in position to face the Rockets in the playoffs if the standings remain unchanged. The teams have split their two meetings this season, both at Toyota Center, heading into their final meeting. The matchup can be especially interesting with P.J. Tucker, one of the league's best defenders, on James Harden and Goran Dragic going against the two point guards who replaced him, Pat Beverley and Jeremy Lin.

Jonathan Feigen

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